I'm using MM with my 6 year old. He's not reading independently yet, and needs help with focussing, so I do everything with him. It usually takes 20-30 minutes to do 2-3 pages, maybe 4 if they are short, and that's getting him through the books at a good clip-not accelerated but very comfortable.

My oldest spells better than I do (perfect visual memory-a gift of autism). So no spelling for him. My daughter spells atrociously, so we will be working on spelling this year and likely until she can type well. To be honest, I became a much better speller after the invention of spell check. Oh, but the most useful thing I learned in school was all the homonyms/homophones. Even my oldest does those.

Grace Vandendool's Keyboard Theory.

Errors...are the portals to discovery. James Joyce Life isn't fair, it's just fairer than death. The Princess Bride I think. (not happy but surprisingly satisfying.)

Rod and Staff. It can be done independently (I actually use it for reading comprehension), has diagramming, and is very thorough. We do it four days/week. Leave out or use the writing as you see fit. It's cheap. And you don't need the teacher's manual for the early grades.

Grace Vandendool's Keyboard Theory. It's written for pianists, and it helps to have a keyboard around to look at and plink on from time to time, but my violinist son is having no problems. It's self-teaching, musically solid, very clear with tons of review. I've used the early books (Intro Rudiments), but they go up to an advanced level. Some of the beginner books have the odd colouring exercise, but they would work for any age group. A high-schooler would fly through the early books.

My oldest struggles with narration/reading comprehension in school work as well. He will tell me in gory detail about something he is interested in, but cannot clearly narrate fiction. My son has very mild autism, so I think much of this is a language issue for him. Here's what I've done, and am continuing to do, and it has helped. Narration is a very tricky task. So start slow and easy. We started with 1-2 paragraphs of non-fiction that I read to him, and he'd narrate it back (I was looking for a few sentences). When he got that, I got him to read a short story, and narrate that to me (a very simple kids version of Aesop's fables was perfect). Then, I'd get him to read a chapter of a very simple fiction story (I floundered around for a while and settled on Junie B. Jones-really short, simple but enjoyable stories, and an easy reading level) and he'd narrate it. At that point, I was still having to ask lots of questions, which he could answer, but he couldn't put it together himself, so we let that go, and worked on some other stuff for those skills-freewriting, discussing his new obsession, etc. Then we went back again to having him narrate a few pages of the (now fiction) book we were reading out loud, or get him to update us on where we were in the story. He's finding it easier to get the spontaneous language out now, but it's still slow and painful. Overall, I think, the thing with narration is that it's a complex task, so there are many places it can go off the rails. Can he decode? Can he understand what he read? Can he pay attention that long? Can he remember what he understood? Can he organize all those things into ideas? Can he express those ideas orally? And eventually, can he write that down? The challenge, however, is to figure out on which steps the challenge lies, and simplify the process enough that the kid can succeed. And then build. Simply Charlotte Mason has a current series and an older one on narration. They are brief, but have some useful suggestions. One thing that I found really helpful is the idea that the process of narration is not so much about the finished product (the summary) but the process of the child struggling to make the ideas he has read or heard his own.

I'm using MUS for my two oldest, and I do really like it. It's mathematically pretty solid at the elementary level and clear. My husband (who's a math prof) actually has been very impressed with the program so far. It's not perfect, of course. Nothing is. I've been supplementing word problems from the Singapore Challenging Word problems. The problems is MUS are good, but sometimes they are a bit obvious, and S particularly needs a bit more challenge. S is 1/2 way through Epsilon now, and I don't love certain aspects of how he does fractions. The methods aren't wrong, but I like the way I was taught fractions, so I've changed a few things. However, if a kid was struggling, the way MUS lays out fractions would be very good. Either way, it's an easy adjustment to make. For better or worse, MUS does not follow anything resembling "common core" or any standard math pattern. Make sure she can do everything in Beta. I was really surprised at what my son couldn't do when we took him home. Beta does all the regrouping in addition and subtraction in all it's glory: columns, multi digit columns, multi digit addition and subtraction to 4-5 digits or so. And that knowledge will be assumed for the rest of the books. If your kid can't do all that, she may need to spend a bit of time in Beta. It goes fast, but that step is really important. Check the placement test. Good luck!

I do worry about math facts, because they were hard for me, and it made doing arithmetic super-painful. I did finally learn most of them in Grade 8! I do think they are important, not because they are necessary for understanding, but because they make the process less painful. That being said, I wouldn't panic if she doesn't have them at 6. Math facts are the project of several years. T finds math facts very hard, but her brothers do not. I've found Reflex to be the best drill for her, though it is slow and she does not love it. Her calculations are much quicker, and she does appreciate that. For a younger child, or one who finds time pressure to be a problem, Todo Math for the iPad is also great. It has some great visuals and manipulatives. T really only grasped addition and subtraction after playing with that program.

My/our favourites: We practice to make hard things easier (our violin teacher but useful in all contexts). Doing hard things helps your brain to grow big and strong. And for me: Victory is never final; failure is never fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts. Winston Churchill I think.

Many of the kids in our suzuki program do both violin and piano, but my plan is to wait a few years before introducing a new instrument. The kids I've known who do both typically find it hard to practice both efficiently, especially when they are little, so they end up doing about half as much practice on each, and that slows them down. Practicing requires a ton more mental energy than "noodling." And noodling has advantages of it's own from an ear training point of view. My kids all pick stuff out on the piano, and my oldest is starting to add baselines and experiment with harmonies which is super for his ear and understanding of music structure and theory. Also, one instrument, I think, is enough to get the language aspects of music, which makes the second (then third, and fourth) much easier when the first is solid. When they want to take up a second instrument, and are ready for the practice commitment involved and I'm guessing that's about age 8-9 for most of my kids, I'm ready to let them. However, I'm sure there are many parents who's kids have had great success doing both, so I'd be interested to hear their opinions.

Having problems with quotes, so Ruth, Mandy, and lewelma. Canada has a similar system to ABRSM-the Royal Conservatory of Music. They have an organized program of music study with scales, studies, songs, theory, sight-reading and ear training, and exams all levelled, for most instruments. They are starting/trying to spread into the US through the ?"Carnegie Hall" program. It's all on the RCM website. The grades will be different from the ABRSM but it's the same idea. For whatever reason, there doesn't seem to be a similar type of program in the states (all of my American musician friends are mystified by our obsession with exams.) There are good points to following the RCM programs (our suzuki teacher does encourage us to do the exams along with the suzuki work). It gives you an honest appraisal of your kid's playing, gives the kid something to work towards, and encourages/forces them to learn to sight read, do etudes and scales, learn theory. They also learn at a young age about playing for an adjudicator/auditioner (the good, the bad, and the ugly). On the minus, some teachers, kids, and families put way too much emphasis on exam results, so they can become a stressor.

Hugs. Have you looked at kitchen table math? I found his explanations and games really helpful for explaining things when I was out of ideas (he had a story about sheep that finally explained base 10 to my daughter). I've not looked at the advanced stuff in detail, but the early stuff is great! Maybe a math break? Or go work on something she finds easier to rebuild her confidence, then try again? I use the Singapore word problem books from a year or two younger for my kids for this purpose. We stick to the stuff they like and it rebuilds confidence to face the horrors of regrouping and column addition and long division.

All are covered in beta by the end. I found the money was adequate for my son. My daughter may need a bit more practice converting between cents and dollars, but she's got most of it. Time was fine for my kids. There's a bit on measurement in beta and he talks about fractional measurement in epsilon a bit, but that's something we tend to get to in life.

Here's how I approach a tough problem: Define my terms, in the elementary world-what I already know, what I need to find out Look for keywords-watch for tricks here Draw a picture Lay out the steps of the problem (so I know this and I need to x operation figure out that intermediate thing to do something to find my answer). If I'm still confused, rethink the problem with smaller numbers. Write the answer in sentence form and check that it makes sense

I need my oldest to be somewhat independent too. Some tricks we've found. Not too many problems. Break up the work. He'll do some math, then some music, then some math, then some grammar, them more math, then French. I let him choose the order and when to take breaks, but redirect him as soon as the pencil tap/staring starts. If he's bored or daydreaming, I suggest he do something else. I also encourage short breaks. If he's tired, he gets up to play for 10 minutes and then comes back. He doesn't abuse it (though he can get distracted) but he wants to get done. I agree with the suggestions about figuring out what the problem is specifically. Also, it sometimes helps to consider your goals-are they realistic for your kid, are they doable without spending 10 hours/day at school? No public school class (or university class) ever finishes everything planned for the year, so sometimes you can safely skip stuff, shorten things up. Anyway, good luck. I feel your pain!

I'd suggest listen to lots of different music-classical, jazz, pop, folk, whatever. In the background with lots of repetition is great for kids. Read about composers and performers if the kids like something. Listen to "The young person's guide to the orchestra" or "Peter and the wolf" to get a sense of the instruments. Go to concerts when you can. Sing, sing, and sing some more. Dance and clap along to great songs (that will get them a sense of rhythm). Fiddle music is great for clapping. I'm not a big fan of music theory until the kid is playing an instrument or singing a lot. It just doesn't make all that much sense. I know many disagree with me.

FWIW things my ds6 hated yesterday: school, violin, his younger sister, his older sister, his lunch, barbies, the pencil sharpener, and his lego (he couldn't get pieces apart) Today, he wanted to practice first and asked to do copybook because "that's fun" even though we don't do school on Fridays.:-} Six year olds hate lots of stuff, often because they are 6. And Hate is an all-purpose word for little kids. "Hate" can mean anything from a mild frustration "I have to stop torturing my sister to do math" in which case after a few minutes they get into it. Conversely, hate can mean "i'm totally overwhelmed by what I'm being asked to do." And of course, that can also change from day to day. Don't panic. But if hate is meaning "I'm totally overwhelmed" see what you can change to make it easier. There's lots of great advice above. He's only 6. Maturity will come.

Kitchen Table math-just buy the first book. It's 20 bucks, and very easy to use-no worksheets if she wants those, but at that age, games is really enough. or Singapore Math Essentials if she wants worksheets. The kindergarten books are cute and fun and cheap.

Yes, absolutely. I don't always do school in there, but the stuff goes back and we shut the door. Then I don't need to clean up.

I agree with the statement that traditional vs. conceptual is a false dichotomy. All kids really should be aiming to get a "profound understanding of elementary mathematics." (I've forgotten the woman's name who writes about this stuff.) By that she means, the hows and whys of arithmetic. There are many ways to do that. Both my husband and I (mathy people to the core) got that out of our very traditional math educations, but some of our classmates didn't. They memorized how to do the problems. Conversely, many kids coming out of the more "conceptual" programs being taught in our local public schools now are simply confused by the multiple ways to do things, and never really learn "the right way" or even "a right way" to do their calculations. And some don't drill enough to be good at problems, which leads to the endless problems of university math placement tests. Anyway, there are lots of right ways to teach kids math. I think as a parent (and/or teacher), the goal is to make sure they understand math, and don't just memorize or wander in confusion. How you do that is really going to depend on you and the kid in question. Just my 2 cents.

Find of our year-Brave Writer.

Hi, and hugs. This stuff is always hard. I don't know of an open and go curriculum for LA but I have found BW worked well for my oldest who is on the spectrum. The positives of it is that you can customize-the minus-there's not always much direction. Julie doesn't assume your kid is at a certain level at a certain age, and that alone is helpful. The Writer's Jungle talks about setting up an LA rich environment and how to lay out writing teaching. There's not enough detail, and it takes experimentation to get it to work for you. Kids Write Basic (discussed above) covers the same material, so may be better for your needs, especially where your kids are older. You get the Writer's Jungle with Kids Write Basic, so don't buy it separately. For reading comprehension, I would get my son to read a chapter that was well below his reading ability, then tell me about it orally. Getting him to do this well took many, many months, but was much more efficient than reading comp questions. Now we will start discussing intentions, predictions and such, though that is more difficult for him. Over time, you can bring in projects from partnership writing or jot it down or The arrow. The Arrow incorporates literature with a book (you can read it out loud)-you discuss literary elements,, work on simple grammar, do copy-book, etc. You can easily do this on your own, but I find the convenience of having it all written down helpful. OH, and another way to work on comprehension is to discuss the story that you are reading out loud (separates steps again). Another thing for reading comprehension, I use the Rod and Staff grammar for that purpose. Start with Grade 3, it's plenty hard. My son reads the lesson and does the questions (not all). Then we discuss any problems. He's learning a bit of grammar, but more importantly he's learning to read and follow instructions. The Wand has an integrated spelling, copybook, dictation curriculum for grade 2 level readers. The books are great, and not too babyish, so may be helpful for your second son. I don't love the spelling teaching (not enough drill/review for my daughter) but it may be good for you. Hope that helps.

If your kid know his letters, you don't need the wooden pieces and mat. They can be really helpful for a kid who is having trouble with learning letters. I love the chalk boards-I use both the double lined one and the little square one daily. Just buy your own chalk and cut up sponges for wet-dry-try (works like a darn). The orange book is obviously a necessity. I found the kindergarten TM very helpful for working on pencil grips and solving problems (wet-dry-try etc) but if your kid is already printing, you may not need any of that. Oh, and don't buy their pencils-get golf pencils from your favourite store. After the orange book the TM is less helpful unless you are having problems. Oh, and I use their paper for writing-you just need the wide lined for that age. Again, if your kid isn't having trouble, you may not need any of that. It just depends.

Quick suggestion. Do you have a visual schedule going? We always found this really helped us. You can do it up with him the night before or go over it with him in the morning. You can make them as detailed or not detailed as necessary. We would not have got through that age without a schedule. Now, obviously that's not going to solve all your problems, but sometimes it can help a little.